Money, strictly speaking is not a commodity, but a medium of exchange. But under capitalism and neo-colonialism money has become not only a commodity but a basic human need! The fundamental purpose of money being a medium of exchange does not diminish when money is commoditized. My point is that when someone gives you money, you should know that he or she is not giving you a commodity but is buying something from you. By giving you money, someone is buying either a commodity or service from you. This is how the law of commerce works.
In capitalist societies politics has also been commercialized. However, politics is not a commodity which can be put in the super market and be bought but a system where critical issues are critically analyzed and a solution found. Those who have money uses money so that they can be the ones deciding on critical issues affecting their societies. United States of America for example, cash politics has been dominating the American political land scape for years.
The cash politics of America took a negative turn in 2016 when a non-political entity used cash politics to come to power. Donald Trump’s coming to power was the climax of the cash politics in the United States of America. In 2016 most political commentators believed Hilary Clinton was going to win with flying colours. I told some of my political friends that Trump was going to win because of cash politics. My many years stay in Europe, Asia Central America, Middle East and Africa has exposed me to how cash politics works. A new phenomenon, cash politics if not addressed will destroy the whole world. It is as bad as EVM – it is the enemy of the people. Cash politics is not only found in the USA it has become a world problem. In Russia for example, president Putin is in power due to cash politics. Few people are aware that there is a communist party in the USA but due to cash politics it is not known. Even the once powerful communist party in Russia is no longer powerful. This cash politics is not unique to the USA and Europe but is also rife in Africa. Gone are days when African political parties were influenced and guided by Pan Africanism and African socialism and humanism. Today the so called African political party leaders are guided by those who give them more cash. Cash has become a political ideology.
It is not surprising to hear a political leader saying we don’t eat ideology because people need bread on the table. If is common in Botswana for example, to hear some politician promising the nation that within the first 12 months of obtaining state power, they will create one hundred thousand jobs. They fail to tell the nation how they are going to do that.
Those who claim that they don’t need ideology to create employment are in reality guided by cash politics ideology. The crisis facing Africa today is due to the fact that the so called African leaders are on the payroll of powerful interests who have economic interests in Africa. Because these African leaders depend on cash which gives them material wealth and dignity of which without them they are nothing, they think African masses’ life revolves on cash. That is why they always promise people money. For the African people, life is more than money.
According to cash politics, money has replaced commodities.
For example people prefer money than domestic animals e.g. goats, sheep and cattle.
Liberation of our people does not mean economic liberation only. When we speak of liberation, we are speaking about total liberation including from mental slavery. We want our people to be masters of their own destiny. We do not want our people to be promised jobs we want our people to be empowered to create jobs for themselves. The cash politicians go around promising people heaven on earth which they fully know they cannot deliver. These cash politicians because they have no ideology to guide them, have their minds clouded by cash that in most cases they have obtained illegally.
Cash politics blindfold the cash politicians to an extent that they cannot differentiate lies from truth. They cannot differentiate reality and friction. The easiest way to know these cash politicians is through their anti-media rhetoric. News media is their enemy number one. The reason for this is simple. Because in most cases, they obtain cash through illegal means like money laundering they always live in fear that they might be exposed anytime. So they are always concerned by what the media says about them. Cash politicians are either idiots or criminals. As our country is at crossroads it is time as Batswana seriously and critically analyse our politicians. As much as we are yeaning for change because of the hardship our people are going through, we must also learn from history and from other countries.
When the economy of Zambia was destroyed by Western countries because of Kaunda’s support for the liberation movements in the name of SWAPO, ANC, ZUPO, MPLA, FRELIMO, the Zambian people turned against president Kaunda a true Pan Africanist and humanist. Because the Zambian people wanted change now without assessing their leaders, they ended up electing a criminal, a crook by the name of Chiluba. We should never allow that to happen in Botswana. Political scientists tell us that the normal political life span for a political partyto be in power without change is 30 years. Unless of course it cheats like BDP what does this mean is that if we elect criminals or a party that is lead by criminals we should be prepares to be lead by criminals or a party of criminals for next 30 years.
BDP on the other hand its life span has long ended it is surviving on a borrowed, life it can collapse anytime. Truth be told BDP could have lost power in 1999 when it reached 33 years if it was not these cash politicians who betrayed the struggle.
We should never give away this country to criminals in the name of change. Some of our grand parents fought for this country during the Difaqane wars otherwise Ngamiland would now be part of Barotsiland or Caprivi Strip if our for-fathers did not chase away the Bakololo who invaded our country Ngamiland. Or if we did not defeat the Amandebele, today Ngamiland will be part of Matebele land.
So criminals who happen to be leaders of some political parties by mistake think they can buy our people and sell our country. They should know we shall never allow that. If their priority is cash, our priority is to bring our country back!
Dr Cosmos K. Moenga is a veteran BNF activist
